TARSAL TENOTOMY. 
103 
operation. The reason why the operation has reached its pres¬ 
ent position is that at the time of its introduction it was pro¬ 
claimed a “ cure all ” ; the actual cautery was laid aside, and 
every horse with a spavin was subjected to it, without regard to 
the location, condition and character of the enlargement, and 
because it failed to relieve every case, whether favorable to the 
operation or not, it was condemned, and to-day is, comparatively 
speaking, an unknown operation. 
I contend and will present to you my reasons for believing 
that it is a most useful operation when performed in cases where 
the symptoms indicate it. In these cases the percentage of re¬ 
coveries. are much greater than you will get from the actual 
cautery. 
The operation consists in dividing the internal branch of the 
flexor metatarsi, or curean tenotomy. 
Liautard, in his work on u Operative Veterinary Surgery,” 
says that the operation was first recommended by Abildgaard 
and Viborg, and later performed by Lafosse, Mantal, Grad and 
Dieckerhoff, stating the operation was commonly performed on 
this continent, and as all operations upon their introduction were 
abused and did not receive the credit to which they were fairly 
entitled, stating that it is indicated for the relief of the pressure 
which this cunean branch of the flexor metatarsi makes upon 
the distended periosteum of the more or less enlarged tarsal 
exostosis, and when the exostosis is, strictly speaking, the only 
lesion of the hock, it will prove beneficial, but if some articular 
disease accompany the exostosis the result is uncertain. 
The operation as performed in the past and as recommended 
by Liautard, is as follows : 
Instruments necessary : Scissors, straight and convex bis¬ 
touries, forceps, curved director and a curved tenotomy knife. 
The animal is cast on the side of the leg to be operated 
upon ; the upper leg is now carried forward and secured on the 
upper forearm. The hair is next clipped over the tract of the ten¬ 
don, which can be readily located and identified by the oblique 
groove running across the upper part of the bony enlargement. 
